If there's anything many of us have an abundance of right now, it's ice and snow, and getting around in it can be difficult, even if you're careful and bundled up. Luckily, if you have some chain and bungee cord (or paracord, in this case), you can make your own street-friendly crampons for some added traction.

Instructables user hyperfocused72 made this set of emergency crampons (you might have seen the commercial version, Yaktrax) to attach to his boots when he has to go out in the snow and ice. To be clear, these are designed to be street and traction-friendly, not spiky crampons that would give you purchase if you were scaling an icy cliff.

All the project needs is a good length of paracord (although we could imagine you can get away with bungee cable here), some split rings, some chain (the part that'll actually give you a little extra purchase), some wire cutters, and a pair of scissors—and even some of those are optional. Putting it all together is simple enough—just lay out the chain under your shoes in a pattern that gives you good traction, then tie it all together across the top of your boots with the paracord or bungee cord. Make sure you go around the heel and the toes, and you're all set.

As long as your DIY crampons are fastened firmly and tightly, you'll be able to walk around in the ice and snow with a bit more purchase, although having them is no excuse to not be careful out there. When you're finished with them, they're small enough to fit into a sandwich bag so you can toss them in your bag without them getting other things wet. Hit the link below for a full walkthrough of how they're made, from start to finish.